So, deals were made. Assassins were lined up. And like the best plans, it didn’t work out as planned. Ten days turned to five. And holy shite, we’re actually doing this.

We’re actually doing this?!

If we’ve EVER had one thing going for us this entire campaign (the GM even commented on this being the case), it’s the element of surprise. Although we’ve definitely ghosted people, and sometimes in very obvious manners... We’ve never left a loose end. No one’s ever escaped us. We’ve pretty much left no survivors. We’ve never left evidence of our presence specifically. And quite often everyone was under the cover of Disguise checks, Change/Alter Self, Polymorph, Stealth, or Invisibility.

And hot DAMN, did that make a difference! Like ALL the difference.

Anyway, on to the main event!

So, we had four days, more or less to plan how to murderball the Dragon without getting killed by The Templar and the Order.

At first we thought we might be able to get to him inside the location of the commencement speech. Turns out, it’s actually inside the Order’s citadel. Nope.

Then we thought about somehow getting him to come to us. But we had reports that his honor guard would be on site. Also, nope.

So, we spread out and searched the citadel and it’s surrounding structures.

Yeah, nothing close enough (wide streets) to actually try some Assasssin’s Creed bullshit. And no real cover for which to hide in wait. Well, guess those disguises are coming back out.

While we were doing that, the Druid (best ever), scouted the tower itself, staying out of sight (as a swallow), and keeping a high altitude when possible.

As it happened, there were tons of wards on the tower. But not nearly as many as I’d dreaded. The peak was warded with Anti-Magic. The balcony had a Magic Circle van Chaos and Protection vs Arrows. So...

Next plan?

The Druid flies above the balcony, turns into a dire whale, and freefalls into the balcony, shattering it & sending everyone on it tumbling seven stories down & into our hands.

Good plan; great plan!

Except.................. The Templar would be there giving his portion of the speech as well. And he’d be the only one who could exonerate us. Dang. Really wanted to see Moby fly.

We had to settle on something less dramatic. The Druid using Rock to Mud on the balcony & collapsing the position where the Dragon was standing. So much for flair :(

So, we had the Druid shapeshift & spend the night as a chameleon, hidden amongst the banners of the balcony, on the walls of which citadel. The rest of us got our disguises together and made our way to the event early to take our places.

Apparently Druids give no fucks and waste no time. The moment the balcony had its guests & once she knew the Dragon was among them, she dropped the hammer.

And down went the Dragon and one of his guards, an archer.

Another archer remained uptop, with The Templar.

And several other honor guards practically kicked down the citadel’s doors. Among them were an ice mage of some sort, a necromancer cleric & a dagger-wielding dervisher.

Before the necromancer was able to do a damn thing, the leader of the Maids lept from the shadows with a garrote & pulled him back into the dark with her. I’m not sure if that turned out good or bad for yonder Cleric. We never did see what happened to him...

Brugo (the Fighter) charged out into the path leading from the citadel & played the part of the meatshield, using Call Out on everything that moved & generally delayed any additional templars that got by the assassins from joining our fray.

Our Cleric started loading everyone up with support spells (and that’s why we loves him), as did the Druid (best ever). Our Bloodrager unleashed Haste & started quick-casting all her combat support too.

The Bloodrager tore the dagger dervisher in half, I’m pretty sure I mean that literally too, and I, the Thief, was able to hold my own against their ice mage, making use of my magical Rings plus Hellcat Stealth to stay out of view practically every moment of the fight {even I’ll admit, it was far more effective (and entirely unfair) than I thought it would be}.

That being said, DAMNIT Mirror Image & Displacement is a real freaking problem when you don’t have Truesight. GOOD LORD DID WE MISS 95% OF THE TIME. And there only a 50% miss chance.

-_-

The Dragon did drop a Greater Dispel on our faces (that stunk, we lost everything), but we had whittled his guard down so severely, that it was practically one versus four. Suits us just fine.

And then we almost lost. Sort of?

The Dragon had like 6 hp left, and then shifted back into being an actual Dragon (the GM is old school & reasserting your natural form from Polymorph = full heal). Oh snap.

He revealed himself for us?! That’s freaking AMAZING!

Oh, yeah......... Dragon Fear is a thing.

Brugo, didn’t budge. But he also didn’t look back. Is this where I make a ‘cool guy’ comment? No, actually it was because he was so obliviously-holding back the straggling templars that he just DIDN’T bother to turn around. Oh, and when they started running from Dragon Fear, you know damn well he credited himself for his mad Inimidation skills. He did. Just saiyan.

Unfortunately... the Bloodrager & Raptor ran. But so did one of the remaining archers. And so did the templars (as noted above). As well as the crowd.

The other archer, however, turned into freaking Legolas. Dude apparently had ‘favored enemy: THAT GUY.’ And by ‘that guy,’ I mean the Dragon. He turned on him instantly & started going to town.

Oh, it was great. I wanted to hire him.

I also did not run, although I barely made my save, with a natural 17 or 18.

The Dragon started murdering our Cleric like immediately. If not for a potion the Druid shoved down his face, he was certainly worm food. And then he used Heal. Although the Dragon’s damage could have downed him in one round at full hp anyway, it’s always nice to be at full hp, even if only for a moment.

Between the archer, incoming effects, Flensing Strike + Dampen Presence, and a stealth roll too boss to be believed, we killed the asshole.

Finally, for the first time in the game, my Thief actually DID something besides shenanigans. Although, I’d still have preferred my Bloodraging daughter to have slain it.

Nevertheless, we did it.

We freaking DID it.

Annnnnnnnnd down comes The Templar from the stairs within the tower. He’s all glowing and shit, what with a Holy Vorpal Avenger (I’m sure), death-staring the situation.

Dude roars “What’s going on?!”

Took everything I had not to finish the Blind Melon chorus...

But.

We immediately told him of what went down. Admitted to the murder of the Regent. Explained why. And offered proof of the Regent’s allegiance to the (now deceased) Dragon. And so on.

Time

for

a

dramatic

pause,

for

effect.

He looked at us for a long while and surveyed the scene. First thing he said, “And here I was hoping to retire... Looks like I’ve got some house cleaning to do.”

And there was much rejoicing (since we didn’t DIE)!!!

We gave him further details, and he invited us to return once we’ve completed whatever arrangements we already had in order for an official debriefing.

We agreed.

And then left with the Maids, to claim our treasure. Along the way, we absolutely met with our Dragon ally, and informed him of what had transpired. He was pleased & lept his end of the bargain, by telling us where the Green Dragon’s hoard was.